Tube forming machine



' May 26, 1942. c. 1.. DEWEY ETAL TUBE FORMING MACHINE Origiflal Filed July 20, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 26, 1942.

C. L. DEWEY ET AL TUBE FORMING MACHINE Original Filed July 20, 1936 -2 Sheets-Sheei 2 7 36%? I Md III] Patented May 26, 1942 Clarence L. Dewey and Sydney L. Dewey, Cleveland, Ohio," assignors to Metal Tubev Shaping Indiana i v 'Corp'oration, Elkhart, Ind., a corporation of Continuation of application Serial Ne alese,

July 20, 1936. This application 1939, Serial No. 305,817

tended for use in connection with the forming of cylindrical tubing in such a way as to produce any desired degree of taper or to produce grooves, flares, or... other circumferential config- The machine of the present-invention is inurations in conformity with a template or ,masr' ter pattern which determines the. configuration to be applied to the completed tube; The tubes formed by the present machine'are intended for numerous uses such as spindles or legs for furniture, standards for display stands, tapered tubing for use in connection witlithe manufacture of musical instruments orthe like, and many other uses of a like character.

The machine includes means for "rotating a.

tube andproviding for its elongationduring the forming operation; to the. means iprovidedfor confining the metal of the tube at the spinning pointrin such a way as to prevent bulgingor distortion; to the means provided for clamping and holding the tube; to the means provided'for imparting rotation to the tube and advancing the forming tool, and to the means provided for regulating the thrust of the forming tooliin conformity with the configuration of'the template or master pattern to impart the desired configuration to the tube. g g

Further objects and details will appear from the description of the invention inconjunction with'the accompanying drawingsgwherein,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the machine; V

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional elevation taken on line 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional elevation taken' on line 3 of Fig, 1; 7

Fig.4 is a face view of a portion of the carriage which supports the tube immediately adjacent the forming point; and V n Fig. is a view ofthe toggle clamp for engaging the tube in'such a way as to permit Iongitudinal slippage thereof during the forming operation. V

The machine as a whole is mounted upon side rails ID of I beam formation. the top flanges of "iahich aiford tracks for the contact of upper rdllers II and lower-rollers i2, which are jourrialled upon the side plates i3 of a carriage J4 having journal bearings i5 whichserveto'journal a shaft i6 having mounted thereon 'apulley I1 and carrying at its inner end a chuck i8 adapted to engage and clamp the end of the tube [9 which is being worked upon. The pulley ll, as shown, is provided with V-shaped grooves which receive pulley belts 2i carried upon a driv November 274,

4 claims." (Cl. 113-53) in pulley 22 which-is 'slidably splined upon a drive shaft 23 which affords a source of power for the rotation of the tube. r 7

At the opposite end of the machine are located standards 24 which carry journal mountings25 whichserve to journal the reduced end 26 -'of a' shaft '21- carrying a chuck member .28- at its inner end. The reduced shaft 26 carries a grooved pulley 29 driven by belts30 mounted upon a. drive pulley'3i fixedly located upon the shaft 23. The chuck member 28 serves to mount the opposite end of the-tubebeing'worked upon. Between the chucks is located a carriage '32 mounted upon :up'per andlower'rollers 33 and 3l,-"which ride upon'the track afforded by the upper flanges of theI-beams I0. I V

The carriage 32 at one end has mounted thereon a' 'pair' of spaced'vertical standards 35,

each of which on its inner side is providedwith a fin 36"which furnishes a guide for the vertical movement of a former mounting plate 31 which is provided with a pair of depending studs 33 encircledby coil springs 39 bearing upon a bridge I plate 40 which connects the lower ends of the standards 35. The lower ends of the studs 38 are entered through apertures in the bridge plate 40; so that the-former mountingiplate can be moved vertically against the tension of the springs'39.

The'former mounting is provided with bracketsll whichcarry'a pin 42 having mountedthereon-a roller 43 which is heldby the upward thrust of the springs 39 into contact with the lower edge of a template or master pattern 44 having the configuration which it is desired to impart to the tube.' The template mounted within a groove afforded by sidebars 45- and an intermediate center'bar 46 of lesser depth, whichguide bars are held together by cross bolts 41, and in conjunction furnish a track for a roller 48 carried at the end of an overhanging arm 49 mounted upon one of the standards." This fumishesfa roller guide for the carriage 32 and the parts upstanding therefrom.

The former mounting plate3lfis provided in itsjcenter with an aperture 50; which is'rabbeted on the sideiiii to afford as'ocket fora former tool 52 of arcuate semi-circular formation having inits lower straight edge an arch-shaped notch 53 which is rounded to abliunt wedge in section. This arch-'shapededge constitutes "the forming surface and has a'curvature j'som'ewhat greater in radius than the undiminished curva- I ture of the tube being formed. By reason of 'this configuration, the acting edge ofthe former tool plate v31 at its upper an r the same thing is tapered condition relation to the surface of the tube, but suchdivergence will be within such limits'as' to provide the necessaryconfinement for the tube at the" forming point to" prevent. the metal'lfrom belnz circumferentially displaced'or crowdedi ahead of the former tool 52 during; the spinning operation. .a

V V In short; the metal will be confined and the tube: 1 .will be compelledto evenlydiminishrin-oiameter; 7 when rotated and when the former toolis pressed inwardly; by the impulsion afforded by the stem-1;

" plate.; j

r V Immediately in front of the former mounting 7 plateislocated a face plate 54 which is also carried by the carriage 32, and this plate has mount-,-

ed; therein the'hub 55 of Va recessedgpulle'yjf l 5 which surrounds a bushing 56 incontact with the tube. The hub 85 is carriedbyball bearings II I is'advanced, and this actionwill continue until v to reduce frictiomand the arrangement shownserves tosupp rt'and ;center :the tube and to providefthe necessaryaconnnement:thereofi'at' a point-immediately intadvance-ofthe-forming H v M v V a I I d b i rtr graduallyztan ringithei ame r p int;v s 1 j-In front of I consistinl of semi-circular; shoes 58; having in insect piieisioeea' a c am 2,254,3 7 r V a I r ofthe notch I: prevents the metal from bulging or being distorted andinsures true circularity I to the formation irrespective of the depth to which the tool is'pressed by the thrust imparted thereon, by the-rtemplatew Mine diameter of the tube is reduced, 'the ztubewill necessarily be elongated and such elongation is p m tted by the movement ofthe carriage 'H, which will adjust itself upon' the trackway to the degree re- (iuired to compensate for the elongation of the tube..; The tube will be supported within the hub 55 at a' point immediately adiacent to the forming;point, so-ihat;the metal of the tube will be' a held in. firm xcentact with the former plate andcompelled to reduce its diameter to the extnt requirdbythe configuration of the tem- :pl'ate. A'tsamejtime the friction clamp rerslippa'ef'alon'g the tube as the carriage l2 '7 the design i vrousht-inthe surface of the template 1% been i. .i vol've d is :one which permitsjthe I tube 1h) rf- -br s r t gt s t b enordine rooves:

tion-linings flgwhichjengage the surface of the l U tubej'vith suflicient forcetogassistlin its rotation butat the sameatime permitthe 'longitudinal W slippa e required in permittingthe advanbefq! the former tool longitudinally of the tube. Jhe shoes," are eachprovlded'with a pain ofears GI which have 'pivotedv thereto the inner; ends 7 of linksl-fl the 'outer::ends ofwhich are pivoted to lugs llinwardly projecting from a platetl a which is mounted within the recessed-pulley, haVinBJaV-shaped grooves which mount belts I5 driven-from s pulley-:36 splinedeand slidable, a uponjthe shaft 13. "Any suitable or convenient Y parting rrom inesp tor 'g ie nv rdie i n lo houldsrs i i was.

"mm shi s yest o h sb pgrticu'larity as ,tofdetail, {it isui'otlthefintention toflirnit the same tothe forni* shown,fsince 'o'diiic'ation's thereofmay b' mad f without def weclaimthej y In 7 a t tomes. mach ne 91 th class d?- 1 scribed, thej'co'mbination ofspacedj'chuck mernmeans may be employed for causing the pulleys,

and. it to travel longitudinally in unison with one} another, andthe presentillustrations serve mere iv to indicate a convenient means for imparting power to the elements .which rotate the; shaft;

l1 andil:

The carriage 3 2 forward ibyean-endless chain "which passes aroundsprocketwheels ",one of which is shown at the right of Fig, 1,

' andzsuitable means are provided forregulating the'ieeding Inoperation," h tube j in its operation is" to begin. 'I'her'eafter" the shaft 23 w l bes t Operation w ic i' impart. r tation to the chucks-ri a nqizl afmi to thefric'tion clamp afforded byqthe shoes; 5., which will thrust, inwardly bytoggleictionj due. to the ro tatiomof the vpulley M, vWith" the, tube thus true-with respectto the pulleys he m hi i l g e efli'e d s i id n v i v en withi'respect to one another and'adapted to em 'eaee"t e'.llen s.;=.a tu e. means oriihna ti s rotation to at least one'of'v the chilclr members.

, carriage intermediate fthe chuck-members andipf.

will .be mounted riwithin 'th'e machine with itsends clamped within the chucks I! and 2l,.and with thecarriage 32 and forming j and frietionclutch carried thereby advanced 7 "toward the right to thepoint wherethe forming i c ampedaqa held; positivelyf at its ends and by" friction at can" intermedl ite point; the forming operation will BeginIWlthQthe. advancing of the I carrias'fltowardlthe left and'ias soonasfa projection intheedgeloftheLtemplatefis encountered v which imparts aninward or vradialthrust to the iornij r mounting, plate 131, therebyjeau'sing the forminztool 52 to press inwardly jupon thejtube ,and spinlthe metal inwardly as 'the'rotatioh of netubecontinuesi, The cbnflnement'aiforded :by "the' 'arcuate form forming tool carried thereby and'in'ounted there;

on' inn/manner" to permit radial'rnovementlof the r gmmgeio i withrespectj to the1tubefmQans for imparting longitudinal movements, to the car riage to cause the forming tool tofmovejglengthe point adjacent the formingtool and movablelonbers mounted lfolinrelative longitudinal movemeht with respect to one memes-ms adapted tooen gage the ends'j'of a tube. means 'for"i nparting rotation to .at least oneof the chuc'lrjmembers,

a carriage. intermediate the, chueh members andv a forming .tool carried thereby'and mounted the rfon'in a manner torpermit radial movement'fof the formingitool ,with respect to theti' beymeans.

efor imparting ibngiiudingi movemehts to' thej car- .riage I to" cause the forming tobltb rmove lengthw e f he; tube,imiixediy,positionediitempiate e a m v n s to the tool? iojcause care qn iia rsr wsr d t qfi i di me er: ofthetube nnda'rotatably'drlvenfrictionclamp" engaging the tube. atfapoint adjacent theffjormin: tool andmibvabl longitudinally witn the .fformingtooh, s a,

e 3; lin' act ube forming machine of thefclass described, the combination of spaced chuck menit' fe tuber T imet dgi r bers, one being fixedly positioned and the other movably mounted with respect thereto, means for imparting rotation to at least one of the chuck members for engaging and rotating the opposite ends of a. tube, a carriage mounted forlongitudinal travel between the chuck members, a standard carried by the carriage, a forming tool and a mounting therefor slidably mounted within the standard and adapted to permit radial movements of the forming tool with respect to the tube, a template coacting with the tool mounting for imparting movements thereto commensurate with the configuration of the template, and a rotatably driven clutch movable with the carriage and adapted to frictionally engage the tube and to slide thereon.

4. In a tube forming machine of the class described, the combination of spaced chuck members, one being fixedly positioned and the other movably mounted with respect thereto, means for imparting rotation to'at least one of the chuck members for engaging and rotating the opposite ends of a tube, a carriage mounted for longitudinal travel between the chuck members, a standard carried by the carriage, a forming tool and a mounting therefor slidably mounted within the standard and adapted to permit radial move- 

